Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of travellers who have been unable to complete the passenger locator form for a return journey to the UK, in the context of there being a 48 hour window for people to complete that form before arriving in the UK, because they did not have access to the internet.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Current regulations require transport operators to check all passengers have completed the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) prior to departure to the UK.
We do not have specific data on the number of passengers that have not been able to complete the form because they did not have access to the internet.
However, from the assurance checks carried out by UK authorities there continues to be very high levels of compliance and the vast majority of travellers are meeting the UK’s health requirements for travel, including completion of the PLF before departure.
We engage closely with travel industry partners and operators and take onboard their feedback. As part of a wider review to reduce and simplify the PLF, we will also be extending the PLF completion window from 48 hours to three days from the end of February.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passengers disembarked at Southampton Cruise Terminal on 13 December 2021; and how many passenger locator forms were obtained.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Border Force does not collect data on passenger embarkation numbers. Therefore, we do not hold the level of data requested.
Statistics relating to passenger arrivals since the Covid outbreak are published quarterly and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-passenger-arrivals-since-the-covid-19-outbreak-november-2021/statistics-relating-to-passenger-arrivals-in-the-united-kingdom-since-the-covid-19-outbreak-november-2021.
The passenger locator form (PLF) is a digital form and can be resubmitted therefore we cannot provide the data requested. All passengers arriving by cruise ship are able to submit their PLF up to 21 days in advance. Cruise companies are also required to introduce a check-in process in the terminals, so PLFs are checked prior to passengers leaving the UK.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2021 to Question 107597 on Government Departments: Coronavirus, what additional guidance issued to staff in his Department in relation to managing the risk of covid-19 in the workplace was in force on 20 May 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Throughout the pandemic, Cabinet Office has followed Government guidance on ensuring safety in the workplace. The Cabinet Office has aligned with cross-government guidance issued centrally by Civil Service HR.
On 20 May 2020, in line with the Government’s advice on unnecessary travel, the Cabinet Office default position was for employees to work from home where practical. Employees who were fit for work and required to be in the workplace were advised to follow the guidance on handwashing and respiratory hygiene, the relevant social distancing measures and government/transport provider guidance on safe travel on public transport.
Some operational and specialist teams were identified as essential roles, for which remote or home working may not have been an option for some or all of their working time. Cabinet Office advised that these teams should make sensible arrangements to protect employees, for example, rotas and staggered start and finish times to avoid busy commuting times on public transport. Where possible, business units were asked to ensure that they put arrangements in place to allow employees to adhere to social distancing guidance whilst in the workplace.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 20 January 2022 to Question 105579 on Coronavirus: Travel, when digital covid-19 recovery certificates will be available to people aged 12 and over.
Answered by Maggie Throup
From 3 February 2022, children aged 12 years old and over can access a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel. The travel digital NHS COVID Pass will show evidence of prior infection or recovery for 180 days following a positive National Health Service polymerase chain reaction test and provide a record of COVID-19 vaccinations received. The pass is available via NHS.UK for those aged 12 years old and over and via the NHS App for those aged 13 years old and over.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they did not introduce COVID-19 testing at UK ports of entry in March 2020.
Answered by Lord Kamall
In March 2020, testing capacity was limited and insufficient to deploy to all international arrivals. Doing so would have diverted testing capacity from patients in hospitals to asymptomatic arrivals, at a time when the virus was already circulating within the domestic population.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ease international travel restrictions on UK nationals.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
On 24 January the Secretary of State for Transport announced that, thanks to the success of the UK’s vaccine and booster rollout, the government will reduce travel restrictions ensuring a more proportionate system is in place for passengers.
Therefore, from 4am on 11 February eligible fully vaccinated arrivals will no longer have to undertake a post-arrival Lateral Flow test. Self-isolation and day 8 tests will also be removed for arrivals who are not recognised as fully vaccinated. Although the PLF will still be required for all travellers, it will also be simplified to reflect our more streamlined system.
The changes mean that the UK has one of the most free-flowing borders across Europe and the simplification of travel rules comes just before half term, providing welcome news for families looking to travel abroad during the school holidays, as well as an extra boost for the tourism industry.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his oral contribution of 16 December 2021, Official Report, Column 1137, if he will place in the Library a copy of his correspondence with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in relation to the PCR testing market; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The concerns raised on 16 December 2021 in relation to the PCR testing market have been passed to the Department for Health and Social Care. The Department for Health and Social Care continue to monitor all testing providers listed on gov.uk. Daily checks are undertaken to ensure that providers are meeting minimum standards and providers have been removed where there are repeat offences. The Competition and Markets Authority is also investigating suspected breaches of consumer protection law in the PCR travel test market.
The Government announced on 24 January that from 11 February all eligible fully vaccinated arrivals will face no tests and unvaccinated arrivals will only require a pre-departure test and post-arrival PCR test. This will significantly reduce the cost and complexity for passengers.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to verify covid-19 PCR testing results and details on passengers' arrival from overseas.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Polymerase chain reaction test results on arrival are verified by the private provider who performed or provided the test. Providers are required by law to report the results of the test to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Before providing testing services all providers must complete a declaration stating that their testing services meet the Government’s minimum standards. All international arrival testing providers must also receive confirmation in writing from the UKHSA that it considers the organisation meets the standards before providing testing services. It is the overall responsibility of the test provider to ensure that the services comply with the Government’s minimum standards and the UKHSA will take action where providers are found to be non-compliant.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2021 to Question 86625 on Travel: Coronavirus, whether TestnGo has received a warning related to inadequate performance of their covid-19 testing services.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 6 December 2021 to Question 84419 on Mexico: Coronavirus, what recent discussions he has had with his Mexican counterpart on reports that citizens of Mexico are unable to have their covid-19 vaccination status recognised by the UK.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As set out in the response on 6 December, the Government is taking a phased approach to the rollout of our inbound vaccination programme and will continue to work with international partners to expand the policy to more countries and territories where it is safe to do so. Vaccine certification between countries and territories varies considerably and the government has published minimum criteria on gov.uk that both digital and paper certificates must meet.